Hoisting crane



Jan. 6, 1959 Filed July 1'7, 1956 A. D. DE SHANO HOISTING CRANE 5Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

AL PHO/VSE 0. De SHA/VO Jam 6, 1959 A. D. DE SHANO 2,357,333

HOISTING CRANE Filed July 1'7, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /40 INVEN TOR.

l4 ALPHO/VSE D. De SHA/VO Jan. 6, 1959 A. D. DE SHANO HOISTING CRANEFiled July 17, 1956 IN V EN TOR. AL PHO/VSE D. DeSHA/VO United StatesPatent HOISTING CRANE Alphonse D. De Shane, Hamilton, Ohio, assignor toEmmett Conrad, Falmouth, Ky.

Application July 17,, 1956, Serial 'No. 598,378

1 Claim. (Cl. 212 9-144) This invention relates to improvements in ahoisting crane.

ease and dispatch, and moved over an extensive area about a platformupon which the crane is mounted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a beam extender for acrane, which may easily and quickly be attached to the crame beam whenneeded, or removed therefrom when not needed, the transposition beingaccomplished with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

A further object is theproduction of a crane beam extender which issimple to construct and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide for unusual flexibilityand versatility in the handling of loads by a crane, thereby to effectsubstantial savings of time and labor, and in many instances eliminatingthe need for utilizing cranes of different capacities in the performanceof a given job.

A further object is to provide improvements in the means for stabilizingand latching the rotational standard of a crane relative to itsstationary base, for achieving the, utmost in safety and convenience ofoperation ofthe crane.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means describedherein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a crane embodying the improvementsof the present invention, the beam and extender being shown at variouselevations.

Fig. 2 i an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken horizontally through the cranestandardor post a short distance above the base, part being broken awayin the interest of clarity of disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig.5,

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7,7 of Fig. 5. I

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modifiedform of beam extender.

Fig. 9 is an enlargedcross-sectional view taken online 99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 10.'10 of Fig.8.

The crane hereindisclosed-is of the general type depicted-in mycopending patent application Serial No.

An object of the invention is to provide a beam ex-- tender for a crane,whereby a load may be lifted with 574,034, filed March 26, 1956 andentitled Lift Attachment for Hoisting Cranes. In various phases'of thework of hoisting and'transporting trees, bushes, and in fact anyobjectfit is often desirable to extend the reach of the crane andthereby enhance its; versatility, without permanently altering the cranewith resultant loss of its original functions. The crane of thecopending ap: plication is rather limited as to'its reach beyonditssup.- porting platform, yet it may perform very well the functionsoriginally intended therefor. Toextend .the usefulness of such a craneand promote the versatility thereof, is one of the primary objectives ofthe present invention.

With reference to the accompanying drawings,12 indi cates a supportingplatform for the crane, which platform may be mobile by reason ofitsasqciation witha motor vehicle. Upon the platform may be'fixed a base14. to

support an upright rotatable standard 16 constituted usually of severalconcentrically arranged tube sections as.

shown in Fig. 5, the innermost tube section 18 being rotate. Latchingmeans are provided for locking the standard in various rotatedpositions, the latching means being releasable to permit swinging of thebeam laterally above the platform.

At the top of standard 16 is a pivot 21) which supports one end 22 of abeam 24, the opposite end 26 of which carries a pulley 28 to support a,cable, chain, or other flexible load suspender to be trained over thepulley in any suitable mannerduring normal usage of the crane, forexample as disclosed in the copending application aforesaid. At a pointonthe beamintermediate the ends thereof, a pivot 30 may be provided tomount the free outer end of a piston rod 32 which-may be extended andretracted relative to an hydraulic cylinder 34, for elevating andlowering the pulley end of the beam. The lower end of the cylinder maybe pivoted as at 36 to a bracket 38 which is fixed to the standard forrotation therewith. Three representative positions of the beam are.

indicated upon Fig 1, resulting from actuation of the hydraulic ramconstituted of the cylinder .34 and piston rod 32,

Whereas in some cranes the beam is straight, as in Fig. 8, the beam ofFig. 1 is shown bent atan angle near its middle. The beam-may consist ofa pair of spaced parallel side plates 40 and 42 connected at their upperedges by an integral web 44, the lower. edges of said plates beingjoined at intervals by means of welded platelik-e struts 46 whichreinforce the beam and maintain the required spacing of its side plates.

To modify the crane in accordanee with the present invention, anelongate extender 48 is applied to the outer as shown. Fixation of theextender to the. beam may be achieved bymeans of an inverted U-shapedyoke having pa p r rm 54, 5 depend n rom th le 50, 50 of'the extender 48at its inner end 56. The yoke may be welded or otherwise fixedly securedto the extender channel transversely thereof, and the free ends of theyoke legs 50, 50 may be perforated in alignment to receive a transverseremovable pin 58, which pin serves as an abutment to bearupon the,tgremost reinforcing,

strut 46 of the beam for precluding npward displacement of the extenderrelative'to the beam.

To assist in preventing longitudinal displacement of the extender 48,the legs 5tl, 50 may be notched as at 60, 66 along their lower edges toengage the extending ends of'pulley shaft 62. The shaft ends rest in thenotches 60, 60 as shown in Fig. 1, engagement being maintained by theweight of the extender 48 and any load applied thereto.

A travelling hook may be appliedto the extender, comprising a carriage64 having at its upper portion a roller 66 adapted to ride lengthwisealong the base 52 of the channel-like extender, said base 52 providing atrack for supporting the roller. The carriage may comprise a pair ofspaced parallel side members 68, 68 connected at their upper ends by theroller shaft 70, and at their lower endsv may be provided, one suchmeans being indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, comprising one or more stopsapplicable to the beam extender. The stops may be in the formof pins 76projected transversely through selected pairs of apertures 78 in thelegs 50, 50, the apertures being located preferably near the track orbase 52. The pins or stops extend sufficiently from the legs 50, 50 tofurnish obstructions to travel of the carriage lengthwise of the beamextender. Pins or stops such as 76 may be applied fore .and aft of thecarriage, if desired, to limit its travel. At the free end 80 of thebeam extender, a permanent or fixed stop 82 may be applied to precludethe carriage from running off the end of the track.

It may here be noted that the carriage 64 may travel toward the cranestandard as far as the yoke 54, thereby making possible the deposit of aload carried by the hook 74, squarely upon the platform 12. This addedversatility of the structure is obviously advantageous, in thatmovements of the load to and from the platform is expedited, andrepeated manipulation of the hydraulic ram is reduced to 'a minimum. Thecarriage 64 is shiftable both forwardly and rearwardly of the pulley 28,along the beam extender.

In the modification, Figs. 8 to 10, the crane shown is identical to thatof Fig. 1, with the single exception that the beam 24 thereof isstraight rather than angular. Like in Fig. 1, the beam comprises sideplates 40, 42 spaced apart and reinforced by struts 46, and the free endthereof carries the pulley shaft 62 as usual.

The beam extender 84 of Fig. 8 may comprise an inverted channelincluding a pair of spaced parallel side plates 86, 86 connectedtogether at their upper edges by a base 88 integral with the sideplates. The lower edges 90, 9 of the side plates may diverge from theforward end 92 of the extender rearwardly toward the left end 94thereof, resulting in a gradual increase in height of the side plates.Intermediate the ends 92 and 94, and relatively close to the rear end94, the side plates gradually are reduced in height so as to produce agenerally triangular configuration of both side plates. At its widestpoint, each side plate is cut away near the base 88, to provide a hook96 having a downwardly opening throat 98 to receive the extending end ofpulley shaft 62. This hook construction being duplicated at oppositesides of the beam extender, provides an efliective means simple ofconstruction for suspending the beam extender from the ends of pulleyshaft 62.

The reduced rear end 94 of the beam extender may carry a rigid spacer100 for the side plates, which spacer spans the plates and provides anabutment to engage the foremost strut 46 of the beam, thereby topreclude dropping of the forward end of the extender and maintaining itat a predetermined angularity to the major axis of the beam. Spacersadditional -to that at 100 and 92'may be provided between the sideplates Wherever necessary, as indicated at 102.

Within the confines of the channel forming the beam. extender, and alongthe lower edges thereof, may be welded or otherwise fixed a pair ofspaced parallel rails 104, 104 which serve as a track for a carriage 106supporting a hook 108. The carriage may be constructed of two parallelside plates 110 between which the hook 108 is embraced and supported. Attheir upper ends, the carriage plates may carry a pair of transverseshafts 112 and 114 having ends which extend in opposite directions fromthe plates, and upon the ends of the shafts are rotatably supported therollers 116 which ride upon the tracks 104, permitting shifting of thecarriage freely from end to end' of the beam extender. The character 118indicates a spacing Washer on each roller shaft, located between thecarriage side plates 110, 110.

The carriage 106 may be precluded from running off the ends of the beamextender, by means of the abutment 100 and the closing end 92 of theextender. From the foregoing explanation, it will readily be evidentthat a load carried bythe carriage hook 108 may be lifted vertically,and shifted horizontally along the beam extender, for easy loading orunloading relative to the platform 12. The modified form of beamextender just described has. the same advantages noted in thedescription of Fig. 1,.

' particularly with respect to ease of attachment and de-- tachment ofthe beam extender, as well as concerns the: increased versatilityresulting from traverse of the carriage.

:both fore and aft of the pulley shaft 62, which permits.

disposition of the lifting hook well over the platform 12..

If desired, the beam extender may be provided with means for limitingtravel of the carriage 106, in substan-' tially the manner explained inthe description of Fig. 1, or otherwise.

Reverting to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, showing means to con trol rotation of thecrane standard, it may be noted that bracket 38 is welded to a shorttube section 120 which is in turn fixed about the standard section 16,.so that the bracket rotates with the crane standard. A flange 122,fixed to the bracket 38 and to section 120 for rotation therewith,overlies the stationary base plate 14 on the platform, and may rotaterelative thereto in spaced parallelism.

Atop the flange 122 may be mounted .a vertical plunger housing 124 inwhich may be reciprocated aplunger 12 6. The plunger may be springloaded as shown, so that its lower end 128 may be induced always toapproach the stationary base 14, and enter any holes 130 of said basewhich may be in registry with the plunger. The flange 122 thereby may belocked against rotation relative to base 14 by the action of theplunger. By lifting the plunger above the base 14, the flange 122 andthe crane standard thereto attached may be rotated for swinging the beamlaterally, as may be required.

Lifting of the plunger 126 may be accomplished by providing a rocker132, pivoted intermediate its ends 134 and 136 upon the flange at a pinor pivot 138, the end 134 of the rocker being engaged in a transverserecess 139 of the plunger, to translate pivotal movements of the rockerinto longitudinal movements of the plunger. Thus, when the exposed end136 of the rocker is depressed, plunger 126 is elevated and withdrawnfrom a hole 130 of the base plate, permitting free rotation of the cranestandard.

Means may be provided for holding the rocker in depressed position toensure continued free rotation of the crane standard. Such means maycomprise a latch 140 including a bolt 142 longitudinally shiftable overthe rocker arm 136 when depressed, for holding the plunger in theelevated or retracted position. The latch bolt 142 may be constantlyyieldingly extended, as by means of a spring 144, which permits boltretraction whenever the rocker arm 136 strikes the inclined face 146 ofthe bolt. Upon full depression of arm 136, the bolt snaps over onto therocker arm 136 by the action of spring 144, and remains in such boltrestrainingposition until such time as the operator grasps the fingerpiece 148 and manually retracts the bolt to release the rocker.

In the light of the foregoing explanation, it should readily be apparentthat the improvements set forth result in various advantages,conveniences, and economies in the construction and usage of a hoistingcrane. While the disclosure presents what may be considered preferredconstructions and arrangements of parts employed, it is to be understoodthat various modifications and changes in structural details may beresorted to, within the scope of the appended claim, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A hoisting crane comprising in combination, an upright standard havingan upper end, a beam having a pivot end and a free end, and meanshinging the pivot end of the beam to the upper end of the standard fordisposition of the beam at various angles of inclination to thestandard, means for elevating and lowering the beam about its pivot end,anelongate beam extender, and means for detachable mounting of theextender upon the free end of the beam to increase the reach thereof,said mounting References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,736,877 Dalin Nov. 26, 1929 1,751,794 Crandall Mar. 25, 19302,503,590 Ormsby Apr. 11, 1950 2,517,813 Wallace Aug. 8, 1950 2,699,875Stratton Jan. 18, 1955 2,772,790 Kauifman Dec. 4, 1956 2,773,606Shepherd Dec. 11, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 932,468 France Nov. 24, 1947

